Griffith University Author(s)

Year published

Metadata

Abstract

BACKGROUND Pharmacy educators can encourage students to follow a good dispensing procedure by introducing the various steps involved in dispensing in a sequential and systematic way. METHOD Third year pharmacy students of the 2010 cohort were randomised into four study groups, each with a different level of access to an online dispensing guide. The guide consisted of two modules, demonstrating the stepwise actions required to interpret a prescription, initiate dispensing and systematically enter data. The study involved 128 students and through pre and post-testing of their knowledge and understanding, the impact of the ...View more >BACKGROUND Pharmacy educators can encourage students to follow a good dispensing procedure by introducing the various steps involved in dispensing in a sequential and systematic way. METHOD Third year pharmacy students of the 2010 cohort were randomised into four study groups, each with a different level of access to an online dispensing guide. The guide consisted of two modules, demonstrating the stepwise actions required to interpret a prescription, initiate dispensing and systematically enter data. The study involved 128 students and through pre and post-testing of their knowledge and understanding, the impact of the guide was evaluated as well as the effect of compulsory viewing sessions. RESULTS The impact of the guide was considered significant (p-values for both modules were < 0.05). Matched-pairs signed-rank tests compared the mean ranks of the groups that had access to the guide with the control group that had no access. With regard to one module, it was found that two of the groups with access were significantly different to the control group (p-values 0.001 and 0.009). In contrast, the other module was found to have only one group significantly different to the control group (p-value 0.002). CONCLUSION Results showed a significant improvement of students' dispensing knowledge and skills due to the implementation of the guide. Compulsory viewing of the guide further impacted on students' knowledge gained and on their independent usage of the guide outside of structured workshop time. This should be considered in the future with regard to the planning of structured dispensing workshops.View less >

Conference Title

Good dispensing procedures: an online dispensing guide for pharmacy students